Today, a man that hardly needs an introduction. Michael Whelan is a multiple Chesley, Hugo, Spectrum, and Society of Illustrators award winner, and near universally considered one of the top five or so artists in the field.

Michael won this year’s Chesley for Best Hardcover Illustration for his work on Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings. (Shown above.) Michael had taken a break from book covers for a number of years so we, at Tor Books, were honored he was up for taking the assignment on. Even more so when we saw what a knock-out job he did. Check out the process post for that very cover here. Thank you and congrats to Michael Whelan.

Click here for the full list of 2011 Chesley Award winners and nominees.

I agree it is a great cover, which is why it is such a shame that the design blocks almost all of it with an overlarge title treatment and other copy. I honestly didn't realize that was supposed to be a storm in the background until I read the cover art progression post.

Can anyone tell me what the second image (the one with the sphinxes) is from? I'm rather hoping it's a book cover, but I can't find it on his website. It would be better if the images at least had titles.

@euphbass - The second image is titled "Sentinels" and is one of Mr. Whelan's personal works (rather than a commissioned cover piece). You can find it on his website (www.glassonion.com) on the "Personal Visions" page.

It always makes me think of his cover work, too, but I must have seen it in The Art of Michael Whelan or one of his calendars.

The first illustration is "Passage: Arrival" (though it does not seem to be on his website with the other "Passage" pieces in "Personal Visions". The third piece is "Hari" (i.e., Seldon), the cover for Foundation by Isaac Asimov, for the 1986 Del Rey edition.